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As the seasons change and the colder temperatures prevent you from letting outside air into your home, oftentimes the quality of the air is greatly effected.

According to Healthy Living Guide, ‘Weatherproofing your house doesn’t solve the problem. It just means the pollutants have nowhere to go. In fact, the air indoors can be two to five times more toxic than the air outdoors. Worse, most people spend much of their time indoors in winter.’

Poor indoor air quality stems from a variety of issues: chemical off-gassing from furniture and appliances, odors, pet dander, mold, smoke and the chemicals in household products.

During the winter, respiratory issues also tend to increase and children that suffer from allergies, especially, have a harder time breathing inside the home space.

The good news: Small but significant changes can improve the quality of the air in your home.

1) ENTRYWAY DUST:

Dust is a pollutant. It can be especially harmful to children because they spend more time on or near the floor.

‘House dust is a mixture of dirt, dust mites, dander, pollen and other particles. Chances are lead dust has gathered, too, especially in homes built before the 1970s. To make matters worse, dust may also contain chemicals emitted by furniture, electronics, plastics and fabric’

By placing doormats in your entry ways that are regularly cleaned, you can help mitigate the dust that is spread. You can also institute a no-shoes policy to cut down on the pollutants tracked into your home.

Healthy Living Guide also recommends using ‘a vacuum machine with a high-efficiency particulate air filter, making sure to clean the filter regularly. Follow with a damp mop and plain water to pick up any excess. You can also dust with a damp cotton or microfiber cloth.

2) CARPETS:

Wall-to-wall carpets are nearly impossible to keep clean, trapping dust and other pollutants like dander and mold. Experts recommend vacuuming at least three times a week to remove as much dust as possible.

But even if you can remove all the dust, carpets can also contain an array of harmful chemicals – in the fiber, backing, padding and glue, and in flame-retardant and stain-resistant, waterproofing treatments.

Your best bet is to remove the carpet altogether and replace it with wood or tile flooring.

3) FURNITURE:

When purchasing furniture, the last thing that comes to mind is how the pieces in your home can be affecting the air that you’re breathing.

Like carpet, upholstery is often treated with chemicals that are similarly harmful to people and the environment. Foam cushions can also be a problem because they’re made with petroleum chemicals that can emit VOCs.

According to Healthy Living Guide, ‘natural latex foam cushions are the best alternative. As with your carpets, make sure to vacuum regularly to control dust.’

And with furniture, it’s not just the upholstery that can be a source of contaminants. Plywood, particle board and composite wood frames can also emit toxic chemicals.

When selecting furniture, attempt to purchase sold wood options.

4) ATMOSAIR INDOOR AIR QUALITY SYSTEM:

Equipping your home’s air handler or HVAC system with an AtmosAir Bipolar Ionization unit can help reduce certain biological organisms such as spores, bacteria and even the tiniest viruses.

We’re grateful to continue to partner with notable companies both domestically and internationally across the sports, gaming, hotels, army, commercial and residential arenas. Below are a few project spotlights from the past year.

DOHA METRO (Doha, Qatar):

The Doha Metro is a rapid transit system currently under construction in Doha, Qatar’s capital city. The anticipated completion date is by the end of 2020, consisting of four active lines with an approximate overall length of 300 km and 100 stations in 2 phases.

Qatar Rail, the client in charge of the development of the first 3 lines (Red, Gold and Green) and 37 stations (Phase I) that make up the current Doha Metro system, saw the need to add powerful and effective indoor air cleaning technology to the larger, more crowded stations, such as those where several lines intersect, and also go deeper underground to accommodate the different levels. The largest station, which sits at the intersection of all 3 lines is the “iconic” Msheireb Station.

AtmosAir was selected by Qatar Rail as the air purification system of choice. AtmosAir is being installed in all 36 Air Handlers that serve the 5 levels of Mshreieb Station. The Msheireb station, and the rest of the 3 lines, are expected to open to the public in 2020.

Golden 1 Center:

AtmosAir was excited to announce our partnership with the LEED Platinum Golden 1 Center, home of the Sacramento Kings! Located in downtown Sacramento, the publicly owned arena is part of a business and entertainment district called Downtown Commons (DoCo), which includes a $250 million, 16-story mixed-use tower.

In addition to the Kings’ home games, the arena hosts concerts, conventions and other sporting and entertainment events. Suite partners have access to three exclusive clubs on the premium level including two skyboxes that overlook the concourse with a direct view of the outside. Total capacity is expandable to about 19,000 to accommodate concert audiences.

Sustainability is of great importance to the Golden 1 Center and the AtmosAir team is ecstatic to be a part of their efforts to “green up” sports. By installing our system, the Golden 1 Center will also use AtmosAir to enhance HVAC energy efficiency and will give the arena the ability to shave peak load energy demand.

University of Colorado, Colorado Springs Entertainment Center for the Arts:

University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS) Entertainment Center for the Arts is an 8,500-square meter arts center that boasts five venues, rehearsal studios, classrooms, practice rooms, balconies and gardens. The unique building intentionally looks different from existing architecture on the UCCS campus.

Despite being located over 1 mile above sea level in the beautiful, mountainous Colorado Springs, the designers still wanted to consider the indoor air quality issues that can arise, even in these pristine outdoor conditions. UCCS management took into consideration the success of AtmosAir with providing reduced odor, allergen and bacteria environments for performers in similar locations such as the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and multiple training facilities for college and professional athletes throughout the US. AtmosAir was installed throughout the building to make the space immediately able to be occupied following their renovation by removing VOCs and odors.

AtmosAir Solutions has recently been installed at Chicago-based carrier’s United Club Lounge at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Furthermore, the lounge has achieved gold-level certification through the new Audubon International Green Hospitality program.

This particular program provides third-party verification that facilities have met environmental best practice standards and have demonstrated a strong commitment to water quality, water conservation, waste minimization, resource conservation and energy efficiency.

The Chicago Business Journal noted, ‘The carrier’s United Club location in Terminal 7 at LAX was recognized for its exemplary indoor air quality, innovative composting program, and overall dedication to environmental stewardship,’ and AtmosAir Solutions is ecstatic to be a part of the initiative in helping provide better breathing environments to those traveling both domestically and internationally.

AtmosAir™ is the most proven and effective air purification solution to reduce particulate matter (PM), VOCs, and pathogens to create healthy indoor environments where people thrive. With over 7,500 installations and scores of independent tests, the data is so compelling that we’ve guaranteed our results greatly impact each client’s breathing space.

Gavin Molloy, United’s vice president of corporate real estate and environmental affairs stated: “As an industry-leading airline in green initiatives, we are constantly pursuing ways to reduce our footprint, whether through our use of low-carbon, sustainable aviation biofuel or our revaluation of onboard materials that resulted in keeping 30,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide out of the air each year.”

In 2017, ‘Air Transport World magazine titled United the “Eco-Airline of the Year,” and AtmosAir Solutions is proud to contribute to the cause.

Going forward, we will be continuing our eco-work to help improve the sustainability of both airport terminals and airline’s lounges around the world.

As many organizations unite to combat air pollution, environmental groups such as Moms Clean Air Force, have been leading the initiative to better the indoor air quality within schools across the country.

Moms Clean Air Force is a community of over 1,000,000 moms—and dads!—working together to combat air pollution, including the urgent crisis of our changing climate.

The air quality in schools is largely unregulated and can also pose significant challenges to health and learning. A member from the Moms Clean Air Force, Molly Rauch, says schools’ indoor air quality, “has been linked to asthma and respiratory ailments, and has measurable impacts on the health and productivity of students and teachers.”

Rauch adds that according to the Healthy School Network: “Out of the nearly 100,000 public school buildings in the country, more than two-thirds have at least one dire infrastructure problem, like leaking roofs or inadequate ventilation in need of repair or replacement, as well as poor chemical management. The American Society of Civil Engineers says schools are in worse shape than prisons.”

AtmosAir™ is the most proven and effective solution to reduce inhalable particualate matter (PM), VOCs, and pathogens to create healthy indoor environments where people thrive. By installing our efficient system throughout schools, results have indicated that improvements in school environmental quality can enhance academic performance, as well as teacher and staff productivity and retention. AtmosAir is installing systems in over ten schools this summer.

According to the EPA, ‘conditions found in older, poorly maintained school buildings — leaky roofs; problems with heating, ventilation and insufficient cleaning or excessive use of cleaning chemical in connection with air conditioning systems, as well as, mold, dust and toxic fumes from products and pesticides. These conditions increase absenteeism and reduce academic performance.’

In addition to our installation, efforts have been increasing to clean up schools. According to USAToday, the Green School movement is sweeping the country, as ‘green schools exist in every state and account for 45% of new school construction, up from 15% in 2008.” Nearly half of the nation’s schools require some sort of green certification like LEED, as a condition to receiving state construction funds. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED has become an important moniker in environmentally-conscious construction.

As student performance has been proven to directly correlate with their learning environments, AtmosAir Solutions will be continuing our eco-work to help improve the sustainability of public and private learning schools both on a domestic and international scale.

Since our last newsletter, the AtmosAir team is very excited to announce two new project spotlights, the Doha Metro and St. Mary’s Hospital! While both are two very unique acquisitions, they demonstrate the importance of breathing clean air on a domestic and international scale.

DOHA METRO (Doha, Qatar):

The Doha Metro is a rapid transit system currently under construction in Doha, Qatar’s capital city. The anticipated completion date is by the end of 2020, consisting of four active lines with an approximate overall length of 300 km and 100 stations in 2 phases.

Qatar Rail, the client in charge of the development of the first 3 lines (Red, Gold and Green) and 37 stations (Phase I) that make up the current Doha Metro system, saw the need to add powerful and effective indoor air cleaning technology to the larger, more crowded stations, such as those where several lines intersect, and also go deeper underground to accommodate the different levels. The largest station, which sits at the intersection of all 3 lines is the “Iconic” Msheireb Station. AtmosAir was selected by Qatar Rail as the air purification system of choice. AtmosAir is being installed in all 36 Air Handlers that serve the 5 levels of Mshreieb Station. The Msheireb station, and the rest of the 3 lines, are expected to open to the public in 2020.

PRESENCE SAINTS MARY & ELIZABETH MEDICAL CENTER (Chicago, IL):

Presence Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center (PSMEMC) is an award-winning medical center on Chicago’s near northwest side. For more than a century, PSMEMC has delivered outstanding, compassionate medical care — providing patients and their families with patient and family-centered care from the moment they walk through their doors.

AtmosAir will be installed in various new air handling units serving ORs and ICUs. In hospitals, especially where the germ and disease count is significantly higher than typical buildings and residences, AtmosAir Bi-Polar Ionization technology helps to reduce bacteria, influenza, and viruses. Because bipolar ions impact the DNA of different bacteria and viruses, the hospital further helps to protect its inhabitants from illness and disease.

In 2018, hospitals are being fined for healthcare acquired infections and readmissions. AtmosAir is a proactive technology that will mitigate fines while working to keep occupants safe and healthy.

This past winter, the AtmosAir team was honored to collaborate and teach students at Madison Park Technical Vocational High School the benefits and services of green-building technologies.

Specifically touching upon the benefits of AtmosAir’s Bi-Polar Ionization system, the team was also able to conduct a tour for the students of Boston’s TD Garden, to showcase the mechanical systems and where AtmosAir is installed within the arena’s facilities. This program takes place once-a-week at Boston Public Schools’ only vocational high school.

As seen in this two-minute video about the program, Executive Director, Kevin McCaskill, notes, “It’s important that our students really get on board with this new phenomenon about green technology and environmental causes. If our students are learning from industry-standard individuals, be it the leaders of the industry, or the workers themselves within the green technology field, it just enhances what our students can do, learn and perform within the industry and providing great opportunity for them.”

The vast majority of students within the program are in the Facilities Management Career Track, thus it makes sense to place a high priority focus on Green Building and the importance of clean indoor air quality.

AtmosAir CEO, Steve Levine, believes that “training and educating the next workforce on the latest green technologies is of major importance and priority, especially right now.” He adds, “We love teaching young students about our technologies and why we try to make an impact in the environment that they live and breathe in.”

For more information about the green building technology program at Madison Park
Vocational High School, please click here:

In April 2017, AtmosAir, along with technology partner in Singapore, Techbridge Ventures, was awarded a research grant from Jurong Town Corporation (JTC). One of the deliverables of the grant was to further develop AtmosSmart, the first smart bi polar ionization system that strengthens AtmosAir’s leadership position with respect to air purification and Measurement and Verification. […]

According to Time Magazine, this flu season in particular, has been one of the worst the United States has seen in over a decade. Even getting a flu shot is no guarantee you won’t end up with the flu that everyone seems to be getting this year, and it definitely doesn’t protect against the common cold.

Dr. Andrew Weil notes, “People who have the flu can pass it around just by breathing – no coughing or sneezing required. This news comes from a [University of Maryland] study showing that droplets of infectious virus breathed into the air by people with flu stay suspended for minutes, even hours.”

Weil advises patients to ‘wash your hands frequently, avoid contact with people who have the flu, keep your hands away from your face and eyes, and if you’re sick, stay at home, drink adequate amounts of fluids and get plenty of rest.’

In addition, new non-pharmaceutical ways of preventing the flu are on the horizon, beginning with proper indoor air quality.

Equipping an air handler or HVAC system with an AtmosAir Bipolar Ionization system can help reduce certain biological organisms such as spores, bacteria and even the tiniest viruses.

Cleaner air and better indoor air quality represent a major step in transforming facilities into high performance buildings that tie to the organizational mission of a hospital or business. High performance buildings take a whole building approach to performance while creating spaces that are reliable, safe, healthy, comfortable and efficient.

https://atmosair.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/flu-sick.jpg7201280Administerhttp://atmosair.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/AtmosAirLogo-h-header1.pngAdminister2018-03-26 10:13:022018-08-02 11:25:57How Flu Really Spreads and How to Help Prevent it with Proper Indoor Air Quality

AtmosAir Solutions will attend GREENBUILD this week in Boston, Massachusetts.

AtmosAir will be exhibiting in Booth #1939.

The Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, presented by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the world’s largest green building exposition of its type, providing a forum for the green building community to unite, change lives, revolutionize business, and address our world’s most pressing problems.

Founded in 2002, Greenbuild brings together industry leaders, experts and frontline professionals dedicated to sustainable building, making Greenbuild the ideal space to learn about groundbreaking green building products, services and technologies. The three-day event, which this year will be held at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center from Nov. 8-10, 2017, will feature high profile celebrities, activists and political figures working together to promote the ideals and interests of the green building movement.

“I’ve been at Greenbuild the past six years, walking the show, but we really feel the time is now to introduce our AtmosAir solutions at Greenbuild” said Steve Levine, President and CEO of AtmosAir. “Humans are choosing to spend 22 hours a day indoors. We need our indoor environments to sustain us. Our team at AtmosAir is motivated to try and help companies create healthier indoor environments. Our process is natural and sustainable. We have developed smart technology that brings nature indoors – and we hope people in many buildings will breathe easier because of it. We’re excited to share our message and be a bigger part of the green building movement.”

In the session, leaders in the design community will use AtmosAware monitors to display how the Air Quality Monitoring and Feedback credit within The WELL Standard is an opportunity to measure and track air quality performance and comfort of occupants that goes outside traditional building design.

In preparation for the most recent Austin Texas Formula 1 race, AtmosAir aligned with Hilton’s Austin Hotel to allow professional F1 racer, Fernando Alonso, the ability to breathe purified air throughout his stay.

As exhibited in last month’s newsletter, this past May 2017, Hilton announced a new guestroom concept, entitled “Five Feet to Fitness,” that lets guests work out in their rooms. The concept includes an indoor bike from British cycling company Wattbike and a Gym Rax training station with equipment for strength, core, suspension and high-intensity interval training workouts. The rooms also have a meditation chair and blackout shades.

What’s more, is that the Five Feet to Fitness Rooms also include AtmosAir, allowing guests to breathe the purest form of air circulation during their stay.

AtmosAir’s main priority is to make consumers aware that the air they’re breathing is on the same level as healthy air found in nature.

While prepping for a big race or competition, AtmosAir wants to ensure that each professional athlete is getting the best treatment for their overall health.

The AtmosAir system features sustainable bi polar ionization tubes that remove harmful particles and VOCs from our breathing range.

By including the AtmosAir purification systems in their hotel rooms, Hilton is ensuring that the air their guests breathe, while working out and throughout their stay, is healthy and clean.